WHY DID JESUS OFFER HIMSELF TO ISRAEL IF HE KNEW THEY WOULD REJECT HIM?

by Shawn Brasseaux

We can offer three reasons.

Firstly, it was to render the Jews “without excuse” (Romans 1:20). Unless they had been given opportunity to sin, God could not have rightly condemned them for sinning. He ensured Israel would not be able to argue, “If only we had been afforded a chance to accept the Son of God, we would have!” Israel, when put to the test, failed. She proved beyond any shadow of a doubt that she would not have Jesus Christ rule over her. Turn to John chapter 19: “[14] And it was the preparation of the passover, and about the sixth hour: and he saith unto the Jews, Behold your King! [15] But they cried out, Away with him, away with him, crucify him. Pilate saith unto them, Shall I crucify your King? The chief priests answered, We have no king but Caesar. [16] Then delivered he him therefore unto them to be crucified. And they took Jesus, and led him away.”

God can point to this specific, historical sin, and doom Israel. It is in the irrefutable record of Scripture forever. There can be no denying what Israel intentionally did to her Messiah. Peter the Apostle preached on the day of Pentecost: “Ye men of Israel, hear these words; Jesus of Nazareth, a man approved of God among you by miracles and wonders and signs, which God did by him in the midst of you, as ye yourselves also know: Him, being delivered by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God, ye have taken, and by wicked hands have crucified and slain: Whom God hath raised up, having loosed the pains of death: because it was not possible that he should be holden of it” (Acts 2:22-24).

Now, chapter 3 of Acts: “[12] And when Peter saw it, he answered unto the people, Ye men of Israel, why marvel ye at this? or why look ye so earnestly on us, as though by our own power or holiness we had made this man to walk? [13] The God of Abraham, and of Isaac, and of Jacob, the God of our fathers, hath glorified his Son Jesus; whom ye delivered up, and denied him in the presence of Pilate, when he was determined to let him go. [14] But ye denied the Holy One and the Just, and desired a murderer to be granted unto you; [15] And killed the Prince of life, whom God hath raised from the dead; whereof we are witnesses. [16] And his name through faith in his name hath made this man strong, whom ye see and know: yea, the faith which is by him hath given him this perfect soundness in the presence of you all. [17] And now, brethren, I wot that through ignorance ye did it, as did also your rulers. [18] But those things, which God before had shewed by the mouth of all his prophets, that Christ should suffer, he hath so fulfilled.”

It is no different today, when people hear the Gospel of Grace and outright refuse it. God will hold them accountable for declining to trust His Son as their personal Saviour, but He could not have done so without them first being given a chance to refuse Him. “Christ died for our sins, He was buried, and He rose again the third day” (1 Corinthians 15:3-4). All of us, having read and heard that Gospel message, are also “without excuse.”

Secondly, although national Israel rejected Him, there was a believing remnant of individual Jews. Without sending Jesus Christ to Israel, Father God would have had no way to attract believers. The Little Flock grew as more Jews came to faith in Jesus. See John 1:11-13: “[11] He came unto his own, and his own received him not. [12] But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name: [13] Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.”

Also, Hebrews chapter 2: “[9] But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honour; that he by the grace of God should taste death for every man. [10] For it became him, for whom are all things, and by whom are all things, in bringing many sons unto glory, to make the captain of their salvation perfect through sufferings. [11] For both he that sanctifieth and they who are sanctified are all of one: for which cause he is not ashamed to call them brethren, [12] Saying, I will declare thy name unto my brethren, in the midst of the church will I sing praise unto thee. [13] And again, I will put my trust in him. And again, Behold I and the children which God hath given me.”

Lastly, it was because of Israel’s rejection of Jesus Christ that He shed His blood on Calvary’s cross to pay for our sins. We see that in Romans chapter 3: “[21] But now the righteousness of God without the law is manifested, being witnessed by the law and the prophets; [22] Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe: for there is no difference: [23] For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; [24] Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus: [25] Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God; [26] To declare, I say, at this time his righteousness: that he might be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus.” While God did not force Israel to reject His Son, He did allow her to reject His Son so His sinless blood would be shed for our redemption. As we see in Hebrews chapters 8 and 10, in God’s wisdom, even Israel, through the New Covenant, will be cleansed of her sins because of Christ’s shed blood.

Also see:
» How do God’s foreknowledge and our free will work together?
» Did God give angels free will as He gave to mankind?
» Does the New Covenant take away Israel’s free will?
» If God knows who will serve Him and who won’t, why witness?